Heritage Chorale of Milwaukee & Lawrence University Faculty, Alumni & Students Recreate 1941 Recital of Marian Anderson, 4 PM Oct. 26, 2014, Lawrence Chapel

G. Dwight Hamilton writes:

Mr. Zick,

I am G. Dwight Hamilton,  Artistic Director of Heritage Chorale of Milwaukee. Our mission is to promote quality choral and vocal music of all genres with an emphasis on performing music by African American composers and arrangers. We take great pride in recognizing historic trailblazers in our performances.  In our quest to preserve and honor the rich legacy of accomplishments made by classical musicians of color, we entered a collaboration with Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin to recreate a December 5, 1941 recital given by Marian Anderson in the university's Memorial Chapel. The recital was significant in that it spoke to the forward thinking and courage of this small Midwestern university to champion the cause of great music making by artists of color in spite of the racist social conditions that existed at the time.

Soloists from Heritage Chorale will join Lawrence University faculty, alumni and current students to present the sixteen songs Ms. Anderson sang with Franz Rupp at the piano in 1941. Our tribute concert will take place at 4:00p.m. on October 26 in the same venue Ms. Anderson used in 1941, Lawrence University Memorial Chapel.

I had the great pleasure of spending some time with Dr. Dominique de Lerma, former Lawrence professor, when my daughter was a Conservatory student there. I learned of [the] AfriClassical website and the affiliated blogspot which you administer. I would be honored if you would announce the Marian Anderson Tribute Concert to take place on Sunday, October 26 using the attached poster and any of the text I have provided. 

Thank you,

G. Dwight Hamilton, Artistic Director

Heritage Chorale of Milwaukee

Milwaukee,  Wisconsin